Immaculate.

In nearly every aspect, Circa Infinity has vastly exceeded my expectations, and sits well near the top of my list of most intelligently designed games I have ever played. A minimalist, puzzle platformer is the last game I would expect to enjoy this immensely amongst a sea of indie titles. I consider the genre to be the equivalent of the FPS of the indie scene: a sort of formulaic attempt to tread ground into the industry, but CI is perhaps the most exhilarating take on a tired template in every aspect of its design. It will consistently challenge your thinking while simultaneously presenting you every tool necessary to complete and appreciate the pieces which meld this wonderful game.

At its core, CI is commonly described as a circular platformer. In a step far to the left, the game involves no vast worlds, but simply a monochrome series of circles laden with enemies. It begins simply: have your character enter each circle, avoid every monster, and jump inwards to the next circle until you complete the level. Each level is comprised of around 10 circles or so, with every few levels introducing a new mechanic. It remains fairly simplistic through the first of five worlds, bringing in new enemies and covering most of what you'll need to complete the remainder.

Circa Infinity respects your intelligence. If you fail and touch an enemy, the only punishment you receive is that you must return to the previous circle. Rather than simply start the current challenge over, you must re-surmount the former, meaning that consistent missteps can place you back at the start of the level. There are checkpoints in each level every few circles, however, so even as it gets crazier, there are plenty of chains of challenges which are short and allow you to focus on them, as they become quite complex. New worlds bring in major mechanics additions, with the brilliant tutorialisation that never leaves the player confused. I won't go into them, as divulging every mechanic feels akin to spoiling a major plot. Part of CI's joy is discovering how each new world builds off of the rules that you know, and they remain clear, concise, and straightforward. That said, Circa Infinity will force you to think in manners that toss everything you know about games on its head.

Speaking of plot, the game is entirely devoid of dialogue or narration, and every piece of the story is told through imagery. This is a bold step from the game's early builds, wherein the breakpoints between levels were filled with text explaining the adventure you undertake. I feel the game works far better without it, retaining its minimalist feel and remaining atmospheric in a way that words would only detract from.

And nothing lends itself more to the game's atmosphere than the music. God, the music. Easily one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard, with even the tracks playing between levels reaching unexpected levels of intricacy and power. In a game that feels a lot about going from level to level and jumping between speeding through and thinking out the next series of moves, in only this instance would I recommend taking a break to sit and breathe, as your characters do, and take a listen between stages. The break music from the first world, a track I would normally skip, surprised me as becoming one of my favorite songs in the entire game when I took the time to sit instead of plowing ahead. The music is more than enough of a reward for finishing some of these heinous treks.

If that package weren't enough, Kenny Sun recently added the game mode: Circle Affinity, which adds a randomized, endless, high-score style romp reminiscent of Super Hexagon. It's not nearly as difficult, but is always fun, and one of the few “get as far as you can” game modes I enjoy. Especially in an age where the sort of play-til-you-drop gameplay has fallen out of favor, CA adds a nice alternative to the pre-designed levels and usual speedrunning romps. Mr. Sun is quite generous in providing for free a game mode which could have easily stood alone for a few bucks. The additions to the soundtrack never hurt either, with some remixes and a few new favorites; I anxiously await its additional release.

Of course, no game is perfect. Circa Infinity is a touch short (which is of course, remedied by CA), and finishing the game felt a tad bittersweet.
Getting used to knowing which direction you're going in can take some time and will throw you off occasionally, long past the point that you think you've familiarized yourself with it.
The color schemes in CA, though there are many to unlock, all seem to have a blending aspect in CA, in where getting past the 25th circle makes it impossible to see where the entry point for the current circle is. Perhaps this was intentional, but it's annoying when you sometimes can't even see your own character in a mode which is designed to be action and timing oriented (remember that CA is a separate mode from the main game).

However, all of these gripes are minor. It's a steal at $10, especially, and I'd go ahead and say to buy the soundtrack along with it (available in FLAC 48Khz/24bit for us audioheads, no less!). Due to the lack of coverage the game received, I was hesitant to buy it after discovering it, but bought it, had no regrets, and wished I could give Kenny Sun more of my money. The game deserves it. A perfectly designed experience, fantastic art style and soundtrack, and plenty of reasons to keep playing may very well make Circa Infinity a new favorite for you, as it was for me.